April 3, 2017
Dear Rebecca,
You have worn many hats and played many important roles at St. Catherine University. When I met you, you were my instructor for the MAOL Leadership Action Project Research Proposal class. It was the fall of 2004. I remember your stories about your graduate work at Stanford, your guidance in our peer review group work, and your passion for doing research. You made that class enjoyable and dare I say – fun! Your feedback helped me complete my LAP on Creating a Global Leadership Course for a Workplace and graduate in May 2005.

The second role where I observed you many times was as Director of the MAOL Program. I would specifically focus on your skills as a hiring manager. When I initiated a meeting to discuss creating a new course that would focus on Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Leadership, you hired Josef Mestenhauser and me to co-teach it for four summers. Your enthusiasm for this course really kept us going, and I know you did much to promote the course to your advisees and new students. It was one of the highlights of my career to co-teach it with Dr. M. and have you sit in on several sessions during the summer of 2009.

The third role was as globalization advocate for the MAOL program but also for the entire SCU. I remember talking to you once about setting up a globalization of the curriculum workshop, and you not only agreed to it but promoted it for all MAOL faculty to attend and then encouraged them to meet with me individually to globalize their syllabi. It was your idea to do a full curriculum audit to see how globalized the curriculum was in 2008 and 2009 and then to repeat the audit in 2015 to see how far MAOL had come. Due to your leadership and indefatigable efforts, evidence of globalization in the MAOL curricular portfolio skyrocketed over those 6 to 7 years! Most of all, your ability to get external grant funding to cover many of the globalization initiatives speaks volumes as to your passion for the global perspective.

The fourth role that I have observed you play very well is an inclusive leader. I’ve watched you conduct MAOL staff meetings, faculty retreats, public events, and debriefings of complex and even controversial issues. Your warmth and genuine interest in gaining everyone’s feedback during those meetings and break-out sessions showed me that you really care about everyone’s opinions.

As I have introduced you to several people over the years including Deborah Pembleton, Jon DeVries, Basma Ibrahim DeVries, and others, I have been impressed with your interest in getting to know people as human beings and really help them create roles for themselves on the SCU campus. You know when to lead people and when to let go. You know how to guide others and then let others guide you.

I remember talking to you once about an assessment tool that helps people see their comfort level with differences, and then you initiated the IDI for all faculty. I believe the IDI and other assessment tools and those full-day intercultural faculty development summer institutes provided faculty with so many wonderful opportunities for growth and advancement in their own intercultural callings. That is what a great leader does -- she plants seeds for the future.

Thank you for making a difference in my life and in the lives of so many students, alumni/alumnae, faculty, staff, visitors, friends of SCU, donors, sponsors, business leaders, community leaders, government leaders, non-profit organizational leaders, healthcare leaders, and higher education leaders. With much enthusiasm, I thank you!

Sincerely and with gratitude,
Brenda J. Ellingboe

MAOL Class of 2005, Adjunct Instructor 2009-2012, Globalization of the Curriculum Consultant/Auditor 2008-2015, IDI Interpreter, and ORLD 6200 Cohorts’ Writing Coach 2013-present

brendajean6@msn.com

Congratulations on all of your accomplishments at St. Kate's! Thank you for the opportunity to become part of the St. Kate's family. You are an incredible role model - your passion for your work, high standards, care for students and inclusive style shine through in all you do. You have and will continue to help me be a better version of myself. Thank you!!!! Kristin Tupa

Thank you for your amazing support when I launched my book (and Val too, of course!). It was a special evening and people still talk about it as being such a unique event--made me feel special. And, quite honestly, that is how you make people feel...I hope you feel as special as you make others feel. God Bless! JB

Rebecca, I look back at my years at St. Kate's in the MAOL program, with gratitude and admiration for your gracious and gallant leadership as a role model, mentor and teacher. Your encouragement and wisdom provided inspiration for my final MAOL project on "the challenges women leaders face while navigating life's transitions."
All the best to you and the journey ahead,
Jewl Ross-Madrid

Rebecca, thank you so much for inspiring me to shoot for the stars and go after a thesis in my program. I appreciate you pushing me and leading me to a place where I could be proud of myself and my accomplishments. Too, your mantra to "trust" the process is not only helpful in thesis/project work, but in many life situations. I appreciate your leadership of the program and wish you all the best on your next venture.

Rebecca, Thank you for your service to all of us affiliated with the MAOL program at St. Catherine's. You are a part of many of my MAOL memories. I am continually inspired at how you 'walk the talk' of leadership whether you're leading a discussion, presenting data to business leaders and/or members of academia, or cultivating knowledge in the room. You articulate impeccably and exude confidence with humility and grace.

You've shaped my learning in many ways; however, 'evidence-based' decisioning skills comes to mind when I think of your influence. Thank you. It's an indelible imprint.

One of my memories that highlights your exemplary professionalism and quick-thinking skills happened on site at Wells Fargo. You came to our site to promote the MAOL- Wells Fargo cohort. Despite your own difficulties in mobility that day, you quickly shifted to accommodate an abundance of attendees who initially morphed the capacity of the room. There was no time to spare and a limited window to act. You remained calm, positive, and clear headed. You quickly arranged to split the meetings in two and provide an environment that was more suitable and without any obvious anxiety, deliver a powerful message to attendees in two separate gatherings. In short, you're pretty amazing and a lovely person as well.

I wish you only good things in your next endeavors and am so grateful that our paths intersected. Marian Beumer, MAOL Alum, Dec. 2015.

My name is Brenda Peick, and I'm an alum of the MAOL program, graduating 2008. Rebecca has inspired me in three ways (at least).
1) Her quiet, strong grace is a role model to me on how to carry myself and present myself to others
2) She gave me wonderful advice that I am still working toward on my journey to becoming an adjunct professor
3) Her work on 2020 Women on Boards - such a worthwhile goal! I'm glad she has shined her light on this topic

I look forward to seeing Rebecca's continued journey and I will continue to be inspired by her. God bless!

I am a student hoping to graduate the end of 2018 thanks to Rebecca. My daughter severely burned herself the day after the first session of my third class in the program. I was overwhelmed and in a panic, but Rebecca was so supportive and compassionate, and she helped me realize that continuing with the program was the best way to work through the trauma and find a way to make a difference. Now, I am making the accident my action project focus so more young children will be protected from this particular danger.

I am a graduate of the MAOL Program. From my first day in the program and on, Rebecca made me feel welcome and supported. Throughout my two and a half years in the program and beyond, every time I would see Rebecca, she would greet me with a smile. Her presence is always warm and she has been a great influence on me and my future goals. Rebecca - I wish you all the luck in the world and thank you for leading by example and positively impacting my life!

As part of the 1st MAOL Study Abroad to Capetown South Africa, I got a chance to connect and experience Rebecca's leadership day in and out for 10 whole days! What a trooper she was - leading a group of women through a life changing international experience where we laughed and cried together. The pictures that I've posted here reflect the inspiration Rebecca had on us all, you'll notice her confidence radiates! Thank you Rebecca!!

Rebecca,
I have thought of your leadership on a regular basis since graduating from the MAOL program in 2012. I aspire to be a leader like Rebecca. She is engaging, motivating, inspiring and knowledgable. Rebecca has helped me among many other students to become good leaders. Thank-you Rebecca for all that you have done for me. May your next venture be as fulfilling to you as your leadership guidance has been to me.